Halo: Reborn
by saberstorm
Summary: Renamed. Formally called Floodworld. Post Halo 3. John had a secret that no one else knew, a secret that could mark him for treason. Now it is his only chance for survival, as his past and future is reborn from the fragments of an ancient foe.
1. Teaser 1

Halo: Floodworld

Summary: Post Halo 3. John had a secret that no one else knew, a secret that could mark him for treason. This very secret has been found by the crew of the _Spirit of Fire_, and is their only hope of stopping the threat of the Dissenters, and getting home alive.

Disclaimer: I don't own Halo.

Author's Notes: As of right now, I only have teasers, because I'm not sure whether or not to make this a trilogy. If there is anyone willing to be a proofreader, it would be helpful so that I don't make any mistakes with the timeline already set by Bungie.

Teaser 1

I never knew.

Of all the Spartans, I knew you the best. But I never knew that you did something like that.

Did you even know the consequences of your choice? I'm sure you did.

But you felt her life was more important than yours.

You chose to save her life. You chose your loyalty to your fellow Spartans over your loyalty to the UNSC.

It may have not been a smart choice. It may yet force you to face terrible consequences.

But it was the right choice.

And that's all that mattered to you.

You cared about your fellow Spartans, just like you care about me. If anything, it's the most important thing you have.

Because it makes you human.

It makes you you.

-Cortana's Log

One year after the destruction of the _Ark_.


	2. Teaser 2

Halo: Floodworld

Summary: Post Halo 3. John had a secret that no one else knew, a secret that could mark him for treason. This very secret has been found by the crew of the _Spirit of Fire_, and is their only hope of stopping the threat of the Dissenters, and getting home alive.

Disclaimer: I don't own Halo.

Teaser 2

The following is Top Secret. Only ONI Brass with an Alfa Clearance Code may access the file.

Password:*******************

Password Accepted.

The following was an intercepted message beamed from deep space 5 years into the Human/Covenant War. The message was intercepted by the AI Serina on the _Spirit of Fire_ in orbit around Harvest. Thanks to her subconscious programming, she was unaware that she both intercepted it, stopped it from reaching the intended recipient and sent it instead to a secret ONI facility on Earth. While a copy of the message may yet remain with her, she will be unable to access it without the proper authorization codes, and it is therefore decided that the existence of such a copy does not pose a threat to security.

Unfortunately, no ONI Agents have been able to determine the source of the message. As a result, all ONI AI's and Special Agents have been ordered to report any similar messages to Admiral Theo Janus, who has charge over the project to locate the source. Any civilian or UNSC personal without an Alfa Clearance Code who hear the following message, or any similar message, must be disposed of because of the nature of the content.

The message is as follows:

John,

I don't know where you are, but I hope you receive this soon. I was captured by the Covenant before I could tell you that I survived the bombardment of Harvest, but I am alive.

A single ship was supposed to take me to the Covenant headquarters, a massive station called High Charity. I could hear them talking about the experiments they were going to perform to try and find out how I was stronger than other Humans.

I wasn't about to sacrifice the rest of the Spartans and our secrets to our enemy, so I chose instead to sabotage their ship. We landed on some type of object. It's shaped like a ring, and the inside is covered with habitable land. It looked so peaceful. For a time, I was able to survive, waging my own war against the single Covenant craft.

Thanks to my unique abilities, I was winning.

I'm not sure what happened next. All I know is that they released some sort of plague, and I learned the horrible truth. The ring was a prison for some sort of galactic parasite. However, their minds were weak, and I was able to stand in the center of them without being noticed.

But as more and more Covenant troops were consumed by them, they grew stronger, and I could no longer hold them at bay with my mind. They were growing into something stronger. In one last attempt to survive, I tried to destroy the central mind that was forming, aided, in fact, by a bunch of robots let by a Monitor that said he was responsible for stopping the Flood.

The Monitor took me to a place called the Library, were I could somehow find the key to activating the ring's systems and destroy the Flood. In the Library's depths, I could sense the Flood's central mind growing stronger. When I mentioned it to the Monitor, he called it a developing Gravemind, the source of Flood intellect.

That's where he made his mistake by mentioning that the ring would not destroy the Flood, but their food source, basically all life in the galaxy. After what you did for me, John, I couldn't activate the ring. I turned on the Monitor, destroying him as the Flood got me.

I thought I was done for, till I realized that I was still alive. I could feel the developing Gravemind trying to slowly assimilate me. But I am a Spartan, and I don't give up that easily.

What I did I must call a miracle. Somehow, I reversed the connection. Instead of being assimilated by the Flood, I took control of them. I destroyed their Gravemind from within. I replaced the Gravemind. I became their Queen.

At least, that's what they call me now. I gave them individuality. Though we are all still mentally connected, we can all think for ourselves. We have become a Hive of sorts, and to them, I am their mother.

Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to know that it's not over. You know as well as I do that corrupt Brass in ONI intend to use the Spartan program for their own selfish ends. They tried to have me executed when I found out. It wasn't my fault that I became telepathic because of the enhancements, but I'm not about to let ONI have their war.

We will build our forces here until we can aid Humanity against the Covenant. When that war is over, John, I want you to come with us. If ONI has their way Earth will become the dictatorship that the colonies fear it is becoming. I know you don't want the Spartans to become part of such a political agenda, and I want to help.

Stay alive John, I beg you. I didn't survive and become what I am now to fail you. I promised I would help you keep the Spartans out of ONI's plans, and now I have the ability to help you more than I thought. You saved my life that day, and I intend to repay that debt with the interest that's been building up.

One last thing, John. I want you to know that I wasn't lying that night before I snuck away to fight on Harvest. I love you, John, and I always will.

I will see you again. I promise.

-Sierra 821 Sara

Official UNSC records list Sierra 821 Sara as deceased, having died as a result of the augmentations the Spartans went through. Recent events involving the _Pillar of Autumn_, the Covenant Civil War, and the UNSC/CFSE Treaty have made this message an item of interest, as it references a currently unknown Halo Installation, as well as the possibility of a much more evolved Flood than what was encountered on the Alpha and Delta Halos. In spite of the Treaty, Admiral Theo Janus has insisted that the message, and any Intel associated with it, to not be shared with the Confederacy of Free Elites.

The intended recipient, identified as Master Chief Sierra 117 John did not receive any notification about the message, nor any part of it. He has, however, been noted as a person of interest in the investigation, and is currently under close watch by ONI. Though he is believed to be dead by most of the UNSC, Admiral Theo Janus has reason to believe he is still alive, and intends to question him about Sierra 821 should the Chief show up alive.

Sierra 117 is currently listed as MIA by the UNSC.

End File.

Initiate protocols to destroy any record of the file having been read and restart your computer. - ONI Special Technicians.


	3. Teaser 3

To all those who have both DeviantArt and Fanfiction accounts, I was thinking of inviting others to help me with this and make it a larger project. Contact me either through DA or PM me if you want to join me in working on Floodworld.

And yes, I know this is another teaser, but I kind of wanted to establish Sara's character a little better.

* * *

Rain falls down on the ancient structure, scarred and battered with age. Two marines with unknown markings on their shoulders try to discreetly climb the steep, slick surface.

"Why couldn't we have just taken the front door?" one mutters.

"Hush! They might hear us!" the other snaps.

"They're not supposed to have sensors here," the first snaps back. "This is a useless mission anyway."

"It's not useless. We need a way to power that Dreadnaught the Boss is working on. If we can tap this thing's power supply, we'll be unstoppable. But first we need the Index, and then we need to kill the one these monsters call their queen."

They neared the top of the structure, the Control Room to the artificial ring world they were on. As the lead marine put his hand out to grab the edge, another hand reached down and grabbed his arm. This hand was larger, with three tentacle-like fingers, and colored a greenish brown. The strange, bipedal creature roughly lifted him up into the air and threw him to the hard surface he had been reaching for. The marine felt the air leave his lungs, and heard a thump to seconds later that meant his partner was next to him.

Spore-like creatures – small fleshy balls with tentacles like jellyfish crawled over them, unclipping their weapons and removing their helmets. They could see five of the bipedal creatures surrounding them, each one holding alien weapons that looked like they were carved out of wood.

"On your feet," one of the creatures growled as the spores crawled away. The two marines had no choice but to obey, turning to look at the sixth member of the alien group. Her armor was cracked and dented, with the odd tendril poking out between the plates. A group of tendrils replaced a lock of her brown hair, running down in front of her face, barely hiding her bloodshot right eye. The blue left one sparkled slightly with interest, before growing cold.

"Hello, beautiful. Miss us?" one of the marines said sarcastically. One of the creatures behind them growled, but didn't move.

"If you were UNSC Marines, I would be forgiving of your motives," the former human said. "But you are no better than the Covenant. Instead of standing between them and innocent lives, you watch and laugh as men, women, and children are butchered."

"Are you any better?" the other marine growled. "Hiding here like this, behind a wall of bio-ships and your parasitic creeps?"

"I have tried to reach the UNSC several times over the past twenty years," she growled back, her lips curling into a snarl. "Corrupt brasses have obviously prevented my message from reaching the one I trust, or I wouldn't be here now."

"Well if you know the UNSC is corrupt, then why don't you join us, or did you lose too much of your humanity, Spartan 821 Sara?" the marine snapped back. "Maybe you forgot what it's like to feel pain."

This time she did lash out, whip-like tendrils extruding from her right wrist smacking across the marine's face, causing him to fall back as the wounds began to bleed. "You know nothing of pain!" she growled. When she spoke again, it was as if thousands of voices were echoing out of her mouth.

"**We of the Hive will continue to remain here, so long as you remain a threat to the rest of humanity in your constant attempts to gain control of and activate this ring."**

The marines shrunk back that time. They had heard of the creatures' constant reference to themselves as the 'Hive', but this was the first time they had heard true evidence of such a mentality.

Sara turned her gaze to the bipedal creatures, "Place the Insurrectionists in Dispersal Pods and send them back to their master. If they are too resilient, we only need one to deliver a message."

Neither marine bothered to fight. There was a better chance at their report reaching their boss if they both went, as Dissenter MAC Guns targeted any Dispersal Pods near their base. Even then, the chances of either one of them surviving and making a report was dangerously close to zero.

One of them was going to die.


	4. 1:Forward Unto Dawn: Seeing is Believing

Halo: Floodworld

Summary: Post Halo 3. John had a secret that no one else knew, a secret that could mark him for treason. This very secret has been found by the crew of the _Spirit of Fire_, and is their only hope of stopping the threat of the Dissenters, and getting home alive.

Disclaimer: I don't own Halo.

To all those who have both DeviantArt and Fanfiction accounts, I was thinking of inviting others to help me with this and make it a larger project. Contact me either through DA or PM me if you want to join me in working on Floodworld.

* * *

Mission 1: Forward Unto Dawn: Seeing is Believing

_I smell little more than the stench of death and decay, repulsive enough to make bile rise to my throat. My head is pounding, whispers and echoes running through the back of my mind like stray thoughts, beating the inside of my skull to a blood soaked mess. I can feel blood dripping out my ears, see it trickling from my eyes like tears betraying my pain, smell it running out my nose like a fountain of grief, and rising from my throat, threatening to get sucked down into my lungs and kill me slowly._

_And yet I am fine._

_My arms have been broken and sheared off, as have my legs. My skull has been shattered, my lungs have been crushed, and my heart has been ripped out and devoured._

_And yet I stand without a scratch on me._

_I am standing in the middle of dead and dying corpses, and I feel their pain as if it were my own. As each one succumbs to the darkness, agony burns through me until they pass on the the void beyond my sight._

_The stench I smell is my own._

_-Excerpt from "The Madness of Assimilation", a series of entries recovered from the Log of Sierra 821 Sara._

"Captain, wake up. Something has happened."

Captain Cutter of the _Spirit of Fire _woke up slowly. Every bone in his body ached slightly, and he felt, well, old. "Serina, how long has it been?" he asked.

"I only just woke up myself," the ship's AI answered. "By my calculations, it seems to have been around 20 years. Professor Anders' idea to 'put me to sleep' seems to have worked exceptionally. We should have it become standard for all UNSC AI's, as it would greatly perfect performance. I think sleeping for twenty years may end up expanding my lifetime. I feel like I could store a thousand worlds worth of information with ease. Is this how you usually feel when you wake up?"

"Rarely nowadays," Cutter muttered, stretching out. "I got old."

"Rough tough, and still made of steel, relatively speaking," Serina seemed to laugh. "At least you didn't age as fast in the cryostat unit." She paused for a moment. "I think my sense of humor has changed."

"I'll take your word for it, now why did you wake me?" Cutter asked, massaging his temples as he made his way to the observation deck and sat down in his chair.

Serina appeared next to him on the small holotable. "Straight to business, yes, sir," she teased in her usual tone. "A slipspace rupture occurred nearly 25,000 kilometers off of our course 30 minutes ago. The monitoring programs Professor Anders set up didn't wake me until 10 minutes later, when what seems to be a UNSC distress signal began beaming from an object at the location of the rupture. I've slowed the _Spirit's_ course and woke you as soon as I was reactivated."

"Can you identify the source?"

"At this range, no."

Cutter thought only for a moment before coming to a decision, "Change our course. We should check this out. Wake up all necessary personnel, including Anders and Red Team. We'll need them for this."

"Aye, sir," Serina smiled. The _Spirit_ shook slightly as maneuvering thrusters engaged. "You do realize she's likely to take over your observation deck again, right?"

"Do I have a choice?" Cutter asked back before standing and heading for the door. He needed some coffee.

* * *

Sierra 092 Jerome stared at the figure in shock. Since the _Sprint_ perused the Covenant to the far reaches of space, he thought he would never see the person in front of him ever again. And yet here he was, a little groggy, and perhaps a bit confused. But those things would no doubt pass. They could never hold him down

"Sir, SPARTIN 029 reporting!" he said coming to attention and saluting, not an easy thing to do while floating in zero gravity.

"At ease, Jerome," John said, rolling his shoulders. Whether he liked it or not, he was tired. He had been looking forward to getting some decent sleep before being rescued. A hour only amounted to a cat nap compared to what he knew he would eventually need. "Who else is here with you?"

"The rest of Red Team, Alice and Douglas, and the crew of the _Spirit of Fire_ under Captain Cutter, sir," Jerome answered. "Permission to speak freely?"

John raised an eyebrow, unseen inside his helmet, "Granted." Jerome grabbed him in a bear hug that would have cracked his reinforced ribs were it not for his armor.

"Welcome back, John! It's good to see you again, old friend!"

Once Jerome had let him go, John chuckled, "Perhaps Cortana and I should be welcoming you back. You've been out of the loop for years."

"Chief, we have a problem," Cortana interrupted. "I tried contacting the _Spirit of Fire_ and was cut off. Three ships have just dropped out of slipspace, all of them old UNSC frigates, and I don't think their friendly."

Jerome tapped his comm unit, "Sierra 029 to Captain Cutter, respond." Static. "_Spirit of Fire_, this is Sierra 029. Respond!"

"Cortana?" John asked.

"What few sensors are still active on this thing are showing that the _Spirit_ is under fire by the unmarked frigates. One of them is emitting a disruption signal to block communications. Pelicans have launched and are preparing to board, most of them near Engineering where the _Spirit'_s salvage team was working on removing our intact Slipspace Drive," she answered.

"Warn them," John said. "We're heading their direction."

Cortana's hologram flickered for a moment, and then she nodded, "Done. Yank me." John pulled her from the terminal and slipped her into the back of his helmet. He then turned and pulled his assault rifle off the wall, growling in annoyance when he realized it only had three rounds left. Cortana noticed as well, and couldn't help but voice the very thought that John had in his mind. "Why is it always three?"

"Clip?" John asked, holding out a hand out toward Jerome. The other Spartan rolled his eyes, fishing a clip off of his belt and handing it to the Chief. John slapped the clip into place with a satisfying click just before an explosive blew open the nearby door.

Two EVA Troopers with strange markings on their suits instantly opened fire on the two Spartans inside. Explosive rounds pinged off their shields, nearly draining them before they could return fire. Their human enemies were wearing what were dubbed 'Flash Suits' by the UNSC. While they were excellent for maneuvering in space combat, their speed and agility sacrificed the standard grade armor that most marines wore. As a result both were easily downed almost faster than a high ranking Grunt. Putting his rifle on his back, John reached out and retrieved one of the weapons the EVA Troops were using. It wasn't standard UNSC make.

Jerome whistled at the sight of it. "Hey, Chief! Is that what I think it is?"

"It is," Cortana answered for him. "Modified SMG with a silencer, sniper scope, and a miniature version of a MAC coil in the chamber for greater range, accuracy, and power. It's also modified to fire 50 mm explosive rounds. Class A contraband weaponry. These guys are probably the same Insurrectionists that the Spartan Program was created to combat in the first place before the Covenant attacked Harvest."

"We'll need their weapons for study and use, Jerome," John said. "Grab what you can. Cortana, can the Salvage Team get out?"

"Negative, Chief," Jerome cut in as he pulled clips of the dead bodies. "Without your Slipspace Drive, the _Spirit_ is dead in the water."

"Still no contact with the _Spirit_?" John asked.

"No, Chief," Cortana answered this time. "The disruption signal is too strong. Not even the Salvage Team can hear us unless we use the _Dawn'_s internal comm."

The Master Chief ground his teeth in frustration, "Can you still control what's left of the _Dawn_?"

"Sure can, so long as we're within 10 meters of a terminal, but all we have is a few sensors, doors, and cryo tubes."

"Good enough," John nodded. "Let's go save the Salvage Team."


End file.
